Red Cross makes house calls to ‘Rebuild Minot’

June 8, 2013

Red Cross volunteers continue to lend their support to Minot's flood recovery efforts for a third summer.

With the help of a grant from the Minot Area Community Foundation for its Rebuild Minot program, the American Red Cross is sending a staffed Emergency Response Vehicle each weekend to flood recovery neighborhoods. Volunteers will provide water, food, cleanup supplies and emotional support to people working on their flood-damaged homes.

"What we do is give those people a break who are working on their homes. We give them moral support. That's just as important as a bottle of water," said Allan McGeough, executive director of the Mid-Dakota Chapter in Minot.

The program began last weekend and will continue each Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day weekend. McGeough said he expects the rebuilding activity to pick up through the summer.

"There's still a lot of homes that people are working on," he said. "So I think the service we can provide is really vital."

The chapter still is looking for volunteers to help. McGeough said the Red Cross trained a group of ERV drivers at a class held May 18, but volunteers are needed to hand out food, water and supplies. The Red Cross also has volunteers who help by making sandwiches.

People interested in volunteering can call 852-2828, extension 2145, or email McGeough at allan.mcgeough@redcross.org. There is a short online safe food handler's course that volunteers will be asked to complete.

Twelve people are needed each weekend. The first shifts begin at 9 a.m., and the last shifts finish about 5 p.m.

Last year, more than 10,000 meals or snacks were served during the re-building efforts.